How the Grinch gave back Christmas

Of all our beloved holiday traditions, an American favorite is to snuggle up with a blanket and bowl of popcorn on the sofa, then flip through the channels to find the best Christmas movie.

One that we will always come back to for its hilarity and remind-you-what-Christmas-is-all-about lesson is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. And we will hear the words “you have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile” in the voice of the Grinch, Boris Karloff, until February.

So what better theme for a company Christmas party than one that reminds every adult what it’s like to live in a town of life-sized candy canes, where bathrobes are adorned in twinkling bells? This was the idea behind Glatfelter Insurance Company’s annual holiday party last December. For the party, Accomac Events converted a drab building at the York Fairgrounds into a glowing Whoville wonderland (www.accomacevents.com). Charlene Calvert, president of Accomac Events, says the transformation is one the most fun parts of planning the party. They return to the fairgrounds every December because it is a “blank canvas” for that year’s theme, Calvert says.

Last year began with a walk through a dark tunnel lined with towering Grinch cutouts. With outstretched arms and bent knees, the Grinches chased life-sized cutouts of Glatfelter Insurance employees. After maneuvering the eerie tunnel, employees entered the mystical Whoville of kissing pine trees, glittering ornaments, and moonlit icicles. They passed under a “Welcome to Glatfelter’s Whoville” sign to hand-painted backdrops of starry snowflakes, colorful trees, and bright houses like oversized gingerbread. Giant, whimsical lamps hung from the ceiling and cast shades of purple and green over the room. Each table held centerpieces matching Whoville’s town square with miniature fir trees drooping over sparkly ornaments surrounded by tall glass bulbs. On that winter evening, guests experienced the wacky and whimsical world that even the Grinch learned to adore.

And they certainly brought their wacky sides to the party, wearing reindeer sunglasses in the photo booth provided by Accomac Events. Then they took their delight to the dance floor, which Calvert says was more popular than ever before.

In between the festivities, Glatfelter discussed their charitable accomplishments as an organization, showing that holiday cheer is rooted in generosity.

Just like our favorite foul, furry green Christmas creature, the spirit of the season brings the understanding that even endless sugar cookies and the largest bows cannot compare to the warm fulfillment of kindness. Glatfelter and Accomac proved that the best ways to experience holiday cheer include both benevolence and the ability to let your inner kid shine.